Starbucks Sirena Espresso Machine, Stainless and Black

Good product
Bottom line up front: I'm happy with the Sirena.

I'm not a coffee snob and don't really care one way or another what name comes on the outside of the machine. I like strong espresso and this machine doesn't disappoint. There are a couple of things that I like and a couple of things that I don't. Here they are:

Like:
- Easy to use
- Can grow with you, i.e. if you want to pull out the Pressurizing disc and start tamping your own shots, you can, and after some practice, will probably get a better quality of crema and espresso. Bean quality, grind, etc... dependent.
- Quick heat up time (less than 2 mins in the morning) and quick steam (less than 10 seconds.
- Good micro-foam on the steamer. My wife likes capuccinos and the good quality foam makes her very happy.

Dislike:
- The water level sensor drives me crazy. It comes on, I refill the container, and it doesn't go off. I have to mess with the container where it attaches...

Don't use the Self Tamper
The Sirena has a bit of a learning curve but once you realize that you do so much better without the "self-tamper" you'll be on your way. My problem was the machine backed up all the time until I read that I should remove the disk and the rubber self tamper -- it made all the difference between HATING this machine and loving it. I can now pack a lot of coffee into the basket without the thing blowing up. Also, I did not realize there was a whole world of tampers. Now that I have a good tamper, not a plastic one!, my espresso has changed considerably.

The good:
1) Once you remove the tamper the coffee is great.
2) You can reprogram the coffee levels
3) Looks great
4) Easy clean-up
5) Decent foaming

The bad:
1) Sprays a little too much water while steaming milk
2) If you have your machine under the counter, it's a little hard to pull the water tank out
3) A learning curve

[...]

Starbucks Sirena is Amazing!
Ok - I spent hours pouring over reviews of machines before purchasing the Sirena. Because I wanted to do everything just right, I took an hour after the purchase to set it up following the extended instructions word by word. (For more experienced users, the quick setup would work and you would have your drink quick!) My first latte was amazing! I didn't even use syrup - it tasted great.

My initial concern: long time to brew espresso/confusion as to the purpose of the "self-tamper". It took a long time for my shots to pull, mostly just dripping. So, I reread thoroughly all the Amazon reviews (much better than those on the SB website) and found that:

FIRST - those with major issues probably had faulty machines or it was user-error. (no offense)
SECOND - there is some trial and error required for grind, etc.
MOST IMPORTANT - if your shots pull slowly (drip) simply POKE A LARGER HOLE IN THE RUBBER GASKET (self tamper).

Although I tried...

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